Helping The Community

Capturing Kindness

During the Covid-19 lockdown, TC Christian students shared some of the ways they got involved in blessing others to help ease the burdens of separation. It was a lovely example of sharing the love of Jesus with friends and neighbors. Here’s a short video featuring some of the student photos we received.

Your Turn

In May, TC Christian launched a Facebook Live show called ‘Your Turn’. Hosted by Tyler Van Schepen, ‘Your Turn’ offers guests a chance to share their perspective on topics relevant to TCCS and the community. At the same time, viewers get their turn to ask questions, both ahead of time via email and live as it happens. The inaugural show featured Congressman Jack Bergman discussing a variety of issues including COVID-19, a perspective on DC, and the ongoing relationship between the Congressman and TCCS. Other guests have included a pastor, a life coach, a physician, and a financial planner, all discussing the ramifications of COVID, the shutdown, and how to emerge from it gracefully.

Mission Trip

A much-anticipated rite-of-passage at TC Christian is the Senior Mission Trip. Each year, the Senior class, accompanied by chaperones and staff, heads to the Caribbean and/or Central America where they plug into a community and serve. This year’s class was in Belize where they served a new church plant in the town of Caledonia. A key component of the trip was the presentation of Bibles made possible by the Elementary School’s Mission-Based Reading Program. Eighty TCCS Elementary students were able to personalize their gift of a New Testament Bible by writing their first names on the inside flap of the Bible and presenting them to the Senior class before departure. These Bibles are now in the hands of children and families in Belize. A big thank you to our parents for encouraging and supporting this special outreach program!

Protect Young Eyes

Whether it’s online pornography, predators, sexting, social media, screen time, cyber-bullying, our children need to be equipped to discern digital threats and thrive in an increasingly hostile online world. Hosted by TC Christian, the “Protect Young Eyes” program featured a series of presentations to students in age-appropriate breakout sessions held during the school day. Students were encouraged to comment and exchange ideas and experiences with the presenters and based on the feedback received, was a worthwhile and important event. A free seminar scheduled for parents and churches unfortunately had to be cancelled as it fell on the day the governor ordered a statewide shutdown.

Vietnam Wall

On a visit to the Vietnam War Memorial during WinTerm, the TC Christian Freshmen ran into a couple who were trying to get a picture of the name of a cousin on the Wall. The cousin was Steve Escallier who died in Vietnam on October 31, 1969. Social Studies teacher, Melissa Wheat, picks up the story, “Steve’s name happened to be high up on the wall. Two of our guys hoisted Carter Blodgett up to take a photo and while there, he also did an etching (called a ‘name rubbing’). It was a very emotional experience for everyone. And it was a great way for the students to see the personal impact the Vietnam War had on those who lived through it. We received a message from the family we helped: I want to thank you all for helping me get a name rubbing of my cousin, Steve. I’ve shared the photos with my grandmother and she is overwhelmed with emotion because she has never been able to come to the Wall ...Thank you again from my entire family. We appreciate you all!”

Single Mom Ministry

Every Spring, the Middle and High School students team up with parents and fan out across the county to provide a day of caring to Single Moms. The Single Mom Ministry provides a list of those who need help with spring cleaning. Armed with rakes, shovels, pruners, and brooms, the kids get to it. It’s always a special time that provides a blessing to both the moms and the students.

TCCS helps single moms in another unique way. Karin Stevens, Area Coordinator for Single MOM Ministries in Traverse City, shares an example: “Double Edge has been helping to fill needs for our moms during the COVID crisis at no charge to them. I recently received a call from a mom who was concerned about clothes for her ever-growing middle/high school boys. I contacted Double Edge and JoAnn, the store manager, told me to have this mom meet her in the back of the store. This has been where she has left the clothes for the other moms so I thought that was what she was going to do today. When this mom called me back, she said that JoAnn let her and her children come into the store and look through the

clothes so her boys could each pick out items that they liked and would wear, all at no cost.

Mom was so grateful for this!! She said they each found a pair of jeans, some shirts and even one pair of swim trunks! This was such an act of kindness to this mom. Mom said she wanted to pay for the clothes, but JoAnn wouldn’t take it. So, this mom decided that when they got home, she was going to have her boys clean out their closets and drawers for outgrown clothes and give back to Double Edge so they can make money off of their donation! Another story of kindness during crisis for both giver and recipient.”